Improved rowlock



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

W. H. WILLARD, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

IMPROVED PLOWLOCK.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 39,188, dated July 7, e1863;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, W. H. WILLARD, of Cleveland, in the county of- Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rowlocks; and Ido bereby declare that the following is afull and complete description of the construction of the same, reference being had to the accompany ing drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view, and Fig. 2 isa longitudinal vertical section.

The nature of my invention relates to a folding rowlock, so constructed that the tholepins can be folded down upon the gunwale when not in use, both for the purpose of convenience and safety in handling the boat, the structure being in the long run more economical and in every way more safe and reliable.

A represents a plate of metal, to which the thole-pins are attached by means of an articulating joint, presently to be described. This plate is secured to the gnnwale of the boat by means of screws passing through the holes B B in the ends of the plate. Near each end of the plate is raised two lips C C, having between them a depression, C C', to receive the heel ofthe thole-pins. The thole-pins D D are secured between the lips C C, by means of the pins E, upon which they articulate. The thole-pins can be placed perpendicular to the gunwale, as seen in the figures, or they can be folded down upon the plate A, as indicated by the dotted lines D' D in Fig. 2, in which position they are not in danger of being broken olf in handling the boat. When they are in the position seen in Fig. 1, the shoulder a on the thole-pin rests upon the edge of the lip C, and prevents the thole-pin D from moving farther backward. The heel of each pin rests upon a steel plate, F, which is placed in the bottom of the depression C'. This plate is pressed upward against the heel of the tholepin by means of a spring, G, which rests in a chamber, H. This chamber H is cast with the plate A, and is bedded into the gn-nwale of the boat, and assists in holding the rowlock in place. The spring G may be made of vulcanized rubber, or a coiled wire, or any other suitable material or form, the object being to keep the thole-pins open or shut, as may be required.

When the rowloek is in use, the tholepins are raised to the position shown in Fig. l, and when not in use they are folded down, as indicated by the dotted lines D in Fig. 27 in which position they are out of the way and are not liable to be broken oft'. The general advantages of this arrangement are so apparent that it is not deemed necessary to particnlarize further upon the subject by way of argument.

What I claim as my improvement, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The herein-described construction of a rowlock, consisting of the plate A, thole-pins D, plates F, and springs Gr, the several parts being arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose specified.

W. H. WILLARD.

Witnesses:

' W. H. BURRIDGE,

P. A. BRINK. 

